Nigeria’s most recent controversial artist, Ibrahim Olawale, popularly known as Brymo has spoken up in regards to his Afrima loss and it’s not-so-much correlation with his anti-ethnic comments against the igbos earlier this year.
Brymo [36], who was nominated in two categories at the All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA) hosted January 12-15th, 2023 in Dakar, Senegal lost both categories to Mali-based artist, Iba one.
Speaking on an interview with Cable, Brymo insisted that loosing both awards had nothing to do with the “south-east fracas†and was instead stemmed from a number of other factors.
He said;
I think, months before, I’d announced that I was no longer a musician and that I was instead a sonic artist. It meant I was no longer eligible for awards that musicians get.
However, AFRIMA nominated my work ‘Esan’, so I forgot all that and looked forward to the event. But in truth, I’m no longer a singer so I didn’t want it.
There’s a songwriting category but they shouldn’t nominate sonic artists. I was looking forward to it anyway, and then something happened. I got into trouble talking about Biafra leaving and staying.
So, I stayed out of AFRIMA and didn’t attack the award afterward. Not winning had nothing to do with the southeast fracas. Everything only just came together.
Recall that earlier this year, the singer was under ‘fire’ for claiming that an igbo presidency would be a “pipe-dreamâ€
â€As long as there (are) talks by prominent people from Igboland about Biafra, an Igbo presidency will be a pipe dream,†he tweeted.
Unmoved by the heavy backlash and criticism he received at the time, the singer went further to release another despiteful tweet that read;
F*ck The Ndi Igbo !! .. To H*ll With It!!
Angered by the artist’s constant jabs and anti-Igbo comment, a man identified as Charles Ogundele launched a petition against Brymo, urging Nigerians to sign in order to put a dent in him winning at the AFRIMA awards. The petition reached a sky rocketed 47,000 signatures.
Brymo would later tender an apology to Nigerians and the Igbo’s during an Instagram live, claiming he meant no harm.
Despite the petition filed against him wining at the AFRIMA’s, Brymo in his recent interview remains of the opinion that it had nothing to do with his loss.